10 Perfect Cocktails to Make for Halloween
Halloween is all about the costumes, the jack-o’-lanterns, and trick-or-treating… if you’re a kid. If you’re safely over the age of 21, it’s all about the alcohol. If you’re throwing a grown-up party this Halloween and want to surprise your guests with some hellish looking but heavenly tasting drinks, get creative with these 10 super creepy (but completely delicious) Halloween cocktails.
1. Toffee Apple Sour Cocktail
A guaranteed crowd-pleaser, this sweet and sour treat is a little bit nostalgic, a little bit fruity, and 100 percent delicious. You can either buy the toffee syrup ready-made or make your own if you feel like getting busy in the kitchen.
Ingredients
- 40ml brandy
- 20ml egg white
- 20ml lemon juice
- 10ml toffee syrup
- 50 ml cider
- Ice
Method
1. Add all the ingredients except the cider to a cocktail shaker and shake. Add ice and shake again.
2. Strain the cocktail into two glasses and top up with cider.
2. Poison Potion Halloween Cocktail
This next cocktail is for adults only, but if you don’t want the little ones to miss out, simply replace the apple brandy and bourbon with some apple juice and Red Hits. The serving suggestion is for two but it’s easy to double up on the quantities if needed.
Ingredients
- 1⁄3 cup bourbon
- 1⁄4 cup apple brandy
- 2 Tbs. lemon juice
- 2 cups ginger ale
- Green liquid food coloring
- Orange liquid food coloring
- Ice cubes
Method
1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, bourbon, brandy, and lemon juice. Shake until chilled.
2. Strain into two glasses. Add green food coloring to one glass and orange to the other. Top with ginger ale.
3. Hocus Pocus Cocktail
If you’re looking for a super simple cocktail to add some magic to your Halloween festivities, look no further than this recipe for a Hocus Pocus cocktail from thefoodieaffair.com. If you want to turn it into a mocktail, simply replace the rum with ginger ale, sprite, or 7-up and omit the club soda.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup Paradise Blend Juice
- 1/3 cup coconut rum
- Club soda
- Black sanding sugar
- Honey
- Ice
Method
1. Start by preparing the glasses with a thin coating of honey around the rims. Roll each glass rim on a plate of black sanding sugar.
2. Combine the juice and rum in a cocktail shaker. Strain into the glasses, add ice and top up with club soda.
4. Halloween Punch
This tart and tangy Halloween punch from.bbcgoodfood.com is guaranteed to draw some ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs.’ There’s no alcohol, so kids can get in on the action, too. If you want to give it a kick, 200ml of vodka (or 25ml per glass) should do the trick.
Ingredients
- 2l cherry juice
- Peel from 3 oranges
- 1 thumb-sized red chili, whole
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 10 cloves
- 6 slices ginger
- Dracula’s fangs sweets to serve (optional)
- 200ml vodka, or 25ml per glass (optional)
Method
1. Add the cherry juice, orange peel, chili, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and ginger to a large saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, leave to cool, then chill for a minimum of 4 hrs (the longer you leave it, the stronger the flavor). Remove the chili after a couple of hours if you prefer a milder kick.
2. Strain the juice into glasses and dangle a fangs sweet from each glass to garnish. If you’re serving adults, top up the glasses with vodka.
5. Fiery Moscow Mule
For a great way to get the festivities off to a flying start, try this Fiery Moscow Mule. It’s got a kick, but what mule doesn’t? The ingredients will serve 2, but feel free to double up if there’s a crowd.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup simple syrup
- A few sprigs of fresh mint
- 2 cups ginger beer
- 2 Tbs. lime juice
- ½ cup rum
- Ice cubes
Method
1. Muddle the mint, syrup, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Add the rum and ice cubes and shake until chilled,
2. Strain the cocktail into 2 glasses and top with ginger beer. Drink.
6. Vampiro Cocktail
Get ready to bare your fangs with this warming blend of tequila, mezcal, lime, grenadine, and Tabasco. It’s got a savory kick that’s similar to a Bloody Mary, and a blood-colored hue that’s perfect for Halloween. The recipe serves 1 but can be adjusted according to needs.
Ingredients
- 20ml passata
- 10ml mescal
- 40ml Blanco tequila
- 5ml grenadine
- 10ml lime juice
- 5ml lemon juice
- 10ml Worcestershire sauce
- 3 dashes Tabasco
- Finely ground smoked sea salt to garnish
Method
1. Brush a small amount of water onto the rim of a small wine glass. Roll in the finely ground smoked sea salt.
2. Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker, add ice, and shake until chilled. Strain into the prepared glass.
7. The Witch’s Heart
If you want a recipe that looks hellish but tastes heavenly, try this elegant recipe from Forbes.
Ingredients
- 1 jigger apple brandy or apple vodka chilled
- 1 tsp grenadine
- 2 jiggers blackberry liqueur
- Powdered dry ice (optional)
- Ice cubes
Method
1. Add powdered dry ice to the bottom of a martini glass.
2. Pour the apple brandy and blackberry liqueur into a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice cubes and shake until chilled.
3. Strain the drink into the martini glass and add the grenadine syrup. Add 1/2 tsp of powdered dry ice to the top of the drink and stir.
8. Jolly Jack-O’-Lanterns Halloween Cocktails
What could be more delicious than white chocolate and orange?
Ingredients
- 1⁄2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1⁄4 cup triple sec
- 6 Tbs. clear chocolate vodka
- 2 cups orange juice
- 6 drops yellow and 2 drops red food colorings
- Sweetened whipped cream
- Orange decorating sugar
- Ice cubes
Method
1. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave or over a bain-marie.
2. Add the vodka and triple sec to the melted chocolate and combine. Stir in the orange juice and food coloring.
3. Add a handful of ice cubes to a cocktail shaker, pour in the drink, and shake until chilled.
4. Strain the drink into 2 glasses. Finish off with whipped cream and decorating sugar.
9. Haunting Halloween Cocktail
If you want to introduce some black magic into Halloween, try this eerie black vodka and pomegranate cocktail. If you can’t get your hands on any black vodka, Crème de cassis and a touch of black food coloring make good substitutes.
Ingredients
- 125ml black vodka
- 100ml vodka
- 250ml pomegranate juice (we used Pom)
- 4 dashes orange bitters
- 8 blackberries
- Ice cubes
- 1 tbsp honey or golden syrup
- Black sanding sugar, or black cake decorating sprinkles
- Pomegranates, to serve (optional)
Method
1. Brush honey or golden syrup around the rim of four martini glasses. Roll each glass rim in the black sanding sugar or black cake decorating sprinkles to coat.
2. Add a handful of ice cubes to a cocktail shaker along with the black vodka, vodka, pomegranate juice, and bitters. Shake until chilled and strain into the glasses.
3. Thread the blackberries onto a cocktail skewer and add one skewer per cocktail. Scatter a few pomegranate seeds over the drink as a garnish.
10. Black-Eyed Margaritas
If you’re searching for a drink that looks devilish but tastes saintly, this spooky black concoction from womansworld.com is perfect. The below recipe will serve 2 so adjust as needed.
Ingredients
- 1⁄2 cup silver tequila
- 1⁄4 cup Cointreau
- 1⁄2 cup orange juice
- 1⁄2 cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- 1⁄4 cup cooked black pearl tapioca
- Ice cubes
Method
1. Cook the orange juice, cinnamon, and cloves over a medium heat for around 5 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool, then strain into a container and chill.
.2. Divide the black pearl tapioca between 2 chilled martini glasses.
3. Pour the juice mixture, tequila, and Cointreau into a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake until chilled. Strain into the glasses.